There are some people who breeze through social gatherings. They seem to sparkle when they're surrounded by people. Then there is the other end of the spectrum — perhaps the introverts — who shy away from social situations. After all, it's hard to converse with people when every word that comes out of your mouth seems cringe-worthy. Unfortunately, being social is part and parcel with life and can even impact your career advancement. If you find yourself tongue-tied around colleagues, brush up on these conversation starters so there won't be any awkward silences:

• The weather. Although it's cliche, the talk of weather can become a lengthy conversation. You can start comparing how the weather was a year prior or a few days ago or even talk about what it's going to be like in the coming days.
• Weekend. The weekend is another great conversation starter because it can lead to many different topics. You can talk about what you did, and that will probably lead to other conversations on your interests or people you spent time with.
• Following up. Do you remember what you last talked to a co-worker about? Bring that up again and ask her about it. Or if you remember a life event she underwent or is looking forward to, such as a wedding or a trip, be sure to ask her about it.
• The holidays. There's always so much to talk about when it comes to the holidays. For the upcoming Halloween [1] holiday, there is the "What are you going to be for Halloween?" question, and for Thanksgiving, there is the typical "Where are you celebrating?" query. You can always talk about what they did after your co-workers come back to work after the holidays as well.
• Comment on outfit. Commenting on someone's outfit can bring about a conversation on where she bought that certain accessory or shirt from. There's not too much that can be extrapolated on from outfit talk, but it's a good start!
• Latest news. Bring up whatever is going on in the news, be it the latest food recall or shocking celebrity breakup. Make sure that you pick a piece of news that's relevant and interesting to the person you're talking to.

What other conversation starters do you use in the office?